Buddy Daddies – Season 1 Episode 2 “The Kiss of Death” Recap & Review

The Kiss of Death

Episode 2 of Buddy Daddies begins with Kazuki attending to Miri’s need to use the bathroom. After he solves her bathroom issues, Miri starts causing issues in their apartment.

Rei wakes up and heads into the living room to see what’s happening. Kazuki asks Rei to take care of Miri while he’s cooking. She tells him to play some video games with her. Kazuki finishes making breakfast, and everything starts digging into the meal. Kazuki starts reading a letter Miri’s mother left for Hayami.

In the letter, she tells Hayami that she resents him for abandoning her when she was pregnant but would like him to take care of Miri. She threatens to tell his new wife about Miri if he doesn’t pay back child support. Kazuki suggests that he and Rei return Miri to her mother. Kazuki asks Miri several questions–from where she’s from to who brought her to town. Despite giving him terrible answers, Miri reveals her full name and age. She hints that her mother works at a singing gig.

Kazuki and Rei leave Miri alone in their apartment to visit Kyutarou at his hideout. Kyutarou is disappointed with their performance during the Hayami assassination mission. He gives them their payment and informs them about a new job he wants them to tackle. Kazuki and Rei accept the task and leave. A strange man in a business suit named Ogino Ryo visits Kyutarou’s place, hands him some paper, and tells him to inform him of any available opportunities in the future.

Kazuki and Rei return home and realize their place’s been ransacked. They hear a noise upstairs and investigate. They find Miri hiding under a table. She reveals herself and points a gun at Kazuki, startling him. Rei tells him it’s not loaded. During dinner, Kazuki researches information about their next target. He’s a drug kingpin with a riled-up gang and loves spending time in his mansion. Rei suggests rushing to the place, but Kazuki reminds him that it’s best not to cause another scene again.

Miri approaches Kazuki and says her mom makes better Hamburg steak than him, crushing his spirit. She taunts Kazuki and asks him to play hide-and-seek with him again. Although Miri annoys Kazuki, her scheme helps him develop a strategy for their mission. Kazuki and Rei gather their materials and plan to head for their mission. Kazuki tries bribing Miri with snacks to let them attend it alone. However, she starts causing a scene, forcing them to bring her along.

On their mission, Kazuki explains they’ll be performing an “under the radar” approach that’ll convince the kingpin to retreat to the sea. Rei must annihilate him while hiding in the water when he arrives near his boat. Kazuki plans to infiltrate the building, but Miri starts beeping the horn in the car. She needs to use the bathroom, but Kazuki tells her to hold it. Kazuki enters the building and starts meddling with the mansion’s security system.

Meanwhile, Miri knocks on the door. One of the kingpin’s goons is confuzzled by her appearance as she begs him to let her use their restroom. Miri notices Kazuki and calls out to him. Miri thinks they’re playing a game and starts running. Kazuki chases her down while being chased by the kingpin’s men. Kazuki catches Miri in front of the kingpin, enticing his guards to point guns at him and Miri. Before they could shoot, Rei fires at them from afar.

He engages the kingpin’s men while Kazuki grabs Miri and flees. Kazuki grabs ahold of Rei, and they all depart the area via a boat. Kazuki opens his frustrations and yells at Miri for ruining his plan and making him worry for her safety. Miri apologizes to Kazuki. They return home and receive a phone call from Kyutarou. He tells them they’re off the mission, and he researched and learned that Hayami had a daughter and mistress.

Kazuki tells Rei that they found Miri’s mother’s location and plan to return her to her. The episode concludes with Ogino murdering the kingpin and his remaining men.

The Episode Review

This was a fun episode of Buddy Daddies. It offers some great humor, light tension, and epic gun combat. It does a fine job of showcasing how chaotic their lives have become by having Miri around. Not only are their mundane lives affected by her presence, but their lives as criminals have taken a wacky and dramatic turn.

On that note, I could see many fans making comparisons between Miri and Anya from Spy X Family. Although Anya displays some childlike behaviors, she’s not as over-the-top as Miri is. Miri evokes behavioral patterns that mirror that of a realistic child. Although her behavior toward being shot feels more fictional than authentic, the ways she acts and speaks capture the strong sense of childhood innocence.

At the same time, some viewers may find her overly upbeat and a tad annoying. Nonetheless, I can see Miri making a substantial impact on Rei and Kazuki’s lives moving forward. While they’re dead-set on returning her to her mother, it’s obvious something will come into play that’ll make them retract their decision. What that will be is unclear to me, though.

Overall, this was a fun episode with great action and wholesome comedy. Miri can be a bit too energetic, but I found the scenes between her and Kazuki enjoyable and heartwarming. Let’s hope the next ones can continue delivering more in that respect.